Nokia Unveils Three New Android-Powered Smartphones

It's official: Nokia is now offering a line of Android-powered smartphones. During the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Nokia announced a trio of devices as part of the Nokia X family, each of which run a customized version of the open source operating system.

All three phones—the Nokia X, X+, and XL—are entry-level options for emerging markets, and are appropriately equipped to keep the cost of the devices as low as possible. The Nokia X and Nokia X+ both use a 4-inch 800 x 480 display, a 1GHz Snapdragon S4 processor, and a single 3-megapixel rear-facing camera. The difference between the two is memory, with the Nokia X coming with 512 MB of RAM and the Nokia X+ equipped with 768 MB of RAM.

The Nokia XL is the largest of the lineup, featuring a 5-inch display with the same WVGA resolution. The Nokia XL includes the same processor and memory found in the Nokia X+, but also includes a larger 2,000mAh battery, and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera to go along with the 5-megapixel shooter on the rear.

But what makes Nokia's new devices particularly interesting is that they are equipped with Android. Like Amazon's Kindle tablets, Nokia is using a "forked" version of Android—that is, they are utilizing the open source portions of Android, but have completely revamped the user interface and are offering an app store of their own (which will not include Google's apps). The phones will, however, have access to a number of Nokia and Microsoft apps and services, such as OneDrive, Nokia MixRadio, and HERE Maps.

It's clear to see that Nokia doesn't want its new customer to forget about its Windows Phone devices, though, as the UI closely resembles Microsoft's "Metro" design. What is unclear, at this point, is the future of these devices, since Microsoft's purchase of Nokia's smartphone division is just about complete.

The Nokia X will go on sale immediately for 89 Euros in Asia, Europe, India, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa. The Nokia X+ and Nokia XL is scheduled to be available in the same markets starting early next quarter, and will cost 99 Euros and 109 Euros, respectively. The Nokia X and X+ will be offered in bright green, bright red, cyan, yellow, black, and white, and the Nokia XL can picked up in bright green, orange, cyan, yellow, black, and white.

Justin is all about his family and his gadgets. Follow him on MyIGN or on Twitter at @ItsTheLingo.